Chapter 81 Taking the Initiative to Seek Out
As the sun rose in the east, the lingering darkness in the sky slowly dissipated. At daybreak, the side gate of the prefectural governor's mansion opened, and carriages carrying groceries drove out.
Few noticed that, unlike usual, there was an extra person in the carriage today. The donkey cart was heading to the market when a person jumped off and hurriedly slipped into a house.
*
The cavalry, which had set out from Sizhou, had traveled day and night, crossing Jiulu County and finally arriving at the western side of Xiagu County after the horses' hooves pounded the official road.
Someone was already waiting for them in the western suburbs of the city. The person who was waiting for them was named Li Huai-ren, one of Xie Yuan-xiu's confidants.
The cavalry leader was named Ni Chiwen. He had taken the name of an ancient ferocious beast and looked quite fierce. He had a square jaw and a large mouth, a dark face and yellow hair, and the muscles in his neck and shoulders were as bulging as old tree vines. At a glance, one could tell that he was a strong and powerful man.
"Governor Ni, I've finally waited for you..." Li Huai-ren strode forward, exchanged a few pleasantries with Ni Chi-wen, and then openly glanced back.
Li Huai-ren asked in surprise, "Governor Ni, how many soldiers are accompanying you this time? It seems rather few."
Ni Chiwen exhaled a rough breath from his nostrils and said angrily, "When the eldest and second young masters heard that troops were to be mobilized, they were reluctant. They joined forces with some of Xie Sizhou's former subordinates to put pressure on him and withheld a portion of the troops. This time, I only have a thousand cavalrymen with me. Oh, and there are three thousand infantrymen led by Deputy General Lin behind us."
The horses were fast, and since the Third Prince had given an urgent order, he dared not delay and led the cavalry ahead.
Li Huai-ren quickly calculated that when the Third Young Master came to Xia Valley, he brought four hundred cavalrymen. Now that Ni Chi-wen has arrived, they have a total of fourteen thousand cavalrymen.
There's a problem: Marquis Wu'an has already entered the city. The city is full of obstacles, and there's little difference between cavalry and infantry. Unless they are utterly defeated and forced to flee the city, the enemy is unlikely to escape.
Ni Chiwen: "How many troops does the Marquis of Wu'an have around him?"
Li Huai-ren: "Around two hundred people."
Ni Chiwen burst into laughter, his whole body visibly relaxed. "I thought he had a thousand troops this time, but it turns out he only has two hundred. Tell the Third Young Master not to be nervous. Even if the infantry doesn't arrive, it will be enough to control them."
"We want to mobilize troops, and so does the Marquis of Wu'an. It's just a matter of who arrives first. There's no time to lose. Commander Ni, come with me into the city immediately. Let's take the Marquis of Wu'an's head!" Li Huai-ren said.
*
Teahouse inside the city.
The teahouse was booked out and became a stronghold for the northern military commanders. Soldiers guarded both the front and back gates.
A white figure slipped past the crowd and quietly appeared at the back door of the teahouse.
The guard at the gate, formerly a patrolman of the Qin residence, was startled upon seeing the newcomer. "Young master?!"
Qin Yanzhou succinctly stated: "I have business with Marquis Wu'an."
The servant dared not turn away Lady Dai's son, but given that the young master had been climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles every day recently, almost demolishing the mansion, he dared not let him in directly.
The guard simply said, "Please come with me."
Entering through the back door, they went upstairs via the staircase behind. Soldiers were also on guard upstairs, and everyone who saw Qin Yanzhou looked visibly alarmed.
"Young master?" Bai Jianping came out of the house and saw Qin Yanzhou coming towards her. "Why have you come?"
After saying that, he immediately realized it was inappropriate.
Bah! Look at what he's saying. With how much the Marquis treats Lady Dai, they'll be family sooner or later.
A hand pushed aside the white sword screen blocking his way, and Qin Shaozong emerged from behind him, his calm gaze landing on Qin Yanzhou.
Without asking how he knew Dai Li's whereabouts, or why Dai Li had been hiding and not coming out to find them, nor explaining how he had followed him here, Qin Shaozong went straight to the point: "What trouble have you run into, kid?"
Qin Yanzhou also got straight to the point, "My mother was just kidnapped by Xie San's men."
Bai Jianping was shocked. Upon hearing this, Feng Feng and the others in the room quickly came out and crowded at the door.
Qin Shaozong's pupils narrowed slightly. "Where is Xie San now?"
Qin Yanzhou gave an address for West Street.
Mo Yanyun spoke frankly, "The curved plow was Madam Dai's masterpiece, wasn't it? Your Qinglian Sect has such a good thing, why don't you treat her as an honored guest, but instead let Xie San do whatever he wants?"
"The other side has troops," Qin Yanzhou said.
Qin Shaozong didn't say anything, but hurriedly went downstairs.
As soon as he left, several military officers immediately followed him, leaving the second floor like a tide, and the previously crowded doorway instantly became empty.
Qin Yanzhou followed them for a few steps to the top of the stairs on the second floor, looking down at the stairs. He saw Qin Shaozong coming downstairs to call for someone to bring his horse, clearly intending to head west of the city immediately.
A glint of light flashed in the young man's eyes. He retraced his steps and headed straight for the back door of the teahouse.
Judging by the time, the reinforcements from Sili Province would be arriving soon, and he couldn't let the North be caught off guard. An overwhelming victory for Sili Province would not benefit him or his mother, so he made this trip.
Ideally, the two sides should be evenly matched, locked in a fierce and close battle, so that neither side has the energy to spare for anything else.
...
downstairs.
Qin Shaozong suddenly stopped in his tracks: "Mo Yanyun, take Bai Ye with you and secretly follow that kid to see where he goes. It's chaotic right now, he and his wife will most likely take the opportunity to leave the city. Don't make a sound, just follow them secretly. If they find out, you must follow them no matter what."
Mo Yanyun, who was suddenly called upon, obeyed the order and turned to leave.
"My lord, do you suspect that the young master is lying to us?" Feng Feng asked in a low voice.
The guards brought over horses, and Qin Shaozong mounted one. "It's not impossible. She's very shrewd, and her son is at least half like her. But whether it's true or not, it's definitely time to settle accounts with Xie San."
They arrived at Xia Valley later than Xie Yuanxiu, and it could be said that they were completely clueless when they first arrived, having no idea how many troops Xie San had hidden in this small Xia Valley.
The previous clashes were less about suppression and more about probing and testing the other side's strengths and weaknesses.
It didn't take long, just one day, to find it.
The enemy did have more men than them, but not enough to overwhelm them, and the fighting strength of the Sizhou troops was far inferior to theirs.
Even if Qin Yanzhou hadn't come looking for them, Qin Shaozong was already planning to make his move today. Xiagu County was closer to Sizhou, and if they dragged it out any longer, it would be disadvantageous for them once reinforcements arrived.
The whip rose and fell, and the horse neighed.
Their group was large and imposing, and the commoners around them quickly made way for them.
On his way to West Street, Qin Shaozong encountered two guards who were hurriedly riding their horses.
The two groups bumped into each other. The guard was overjoyed that he didn't have to run far. "My lord, the reinforcements from Sizhou have arrived outside the city! Commander Qiao saw them coming from afar and, as you ordered, immediately closed the city gates. As you predicted, the gate guards have rebelled and are determined to let the people from Sizhou in. Luckily, we were careful, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable. Now Commander Qiao is leading his men to fight them."
Qin Shaozong asked, "How many reinforcements does Sili have?"
“They are all cavalry, about a thousand men,” the guard said.
Feng Feng was furious and said, "That grandson Gao You spoke so sweetly before, saying that he would do his best for you, my lord. Now he has turned around and betrayed you to the enemy camp. He is really greedy. Fortunately, you, my lord, were not deceived by his sweet words."
When they stayed at the Gao residence, Lord Gao treated them as honored guests, providing them with the finest food, clothing, and lodging, and even taking every opportunity to flatter him. Lord Gao had promised that if they were sensible, he would not mistreat them in the future.
A rat may have skin, but a person lacks manners. That fellow doesn't know what's good for him!
Feng Feng volunteered: "My lord, Qiao Wangfei only has about seventy men. Please allow me a team of men to go and support Qiao Wangfei."
"The city gate is not the main point. To catch the thief, we must first catch the leader. The priority now is to capture Xie San." Qin Shaozong glanced around and keenly noticed that there was already some unusual activity around him.
At first glance, the pedestrians appeared to be just ordinary pedestrians, wearing headscarves and linen clothes, carrying long, narrow bags in their hands or on their shoulders. The vendors on both sides were mostly squatting or sitting behind their stalls, and even when pedestrians were doing business with them, their eyes were constantly darting in their direction.
Qin Shaozong, riding on horseback, had a higher field of vision than ordinary people and could vaguely see some long, curved logs hidden behind the stall.
"Archers on both sides!" Qin Shaozong suddenly shouted.
Whether they were pedestrians, vendors, or Qin Shaozong's cavalry, everyone was taken aback.
Seeing their chance to fire a sneak attack slip away, the "vendors" on both sides simultaneously drew their longbows and sprang into action. Meanwhile, a "pedestrian" on the street suddenly pulled a flash of white light from his bag.
After Qin Shaozong reminded him, the cavalryman on the far side quickly dismounted, took a step to close the distance, and used his long sword to suppress the enemy's arrows.
The "pedestrians" had no horses, and the low-riding cavalrymen were at a disadvantage due to the height difference.
With the ring-pommel sword drawn, Qin Shaozong bent his elbow to raise the sword, and then suddenly swung it forward.
The sharp blade whipped up a fierce wind, slicing a clean arc from top to bottom, sending blood splattering and heads rolling off.
The shop windows on both sides in front were pushed open forcefully, and longbows were extended from inside the windows, aimed at the crowd below.
At the same time, soldiers poured out from downstairs. The first floor carried swords, and the second floor carried bows and arrows.
The man's hawk-like brown eyes gleamed with a metallic coldness in the sunlight. He quickly locked onto a spot, squeezed his legs hard against the horse's belly, and the horse neighed, galloping forward without needing a whip, crashing straight into the entrance of a cloth shop.
A flag stands tall in front of the cloth shop, with a flagpole about ten feet long. The flag bears only the character "布" (cloth), and the serrated edges flutter in the wind.
Qin Shaozong grabbed the flagpole with his left hand, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, and in an instant pulled the flagpole out of the stone block.
Several whooshing sounds came from his side. Qin Shaozong's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly turned his left hand, which was holding the flag, from back to front.
The fluttering banners stirred up gusts of wind, seemingly transforming in an instant into a soaring iron eagle, its long wings spreading to create an invisible protective barrier, preventing the outside wind and rain from entering.
"Squads, go upstairs and clear out the soldiers!" Qin Shaozong ordered sternly.
The soldiers who had dismounted to deal with the archers walked along the edge, blocking their way as they went, and hurried to the garrison.
Qin Shaozong looked back and saw that the street was in a mess. The goods used by the "vendors" for their performances were scattered all over the ground, and the corpses on the ground were trampled to pieces by horses' hooves. Blood seeped into the bluestone bricks, forming a shocking deep red.
"My lord, they have deployed troops here. Xie San may not be on the west street anymore." Kuang Ye blocked a flying arrow. It would be a lie to say he wasn't worried.
When Lord Jun traveled west this time, he was accompanied by only three hundred people on the same multi-storied ships. And not all three hundred people were in Xia Valley; three multi-storied ships, carrying ninety people, went with Wei Qing to Jiulu County.
They have 210 people remaining.
Now that the city's military patrols have defected, if Xie San were to hide amidst the chaos, they would not only have to deal with the military patrols but also search for him, leaving them utterly overwhelmed.
Qin Shaozong: "Whether Xie San is here or not, we'll know once we go and see."
He was very interested to see if the address the kid provided was real or fake.
*
Dongcheng Courtyard.
Dai Li remained secluded at home. The small courtyard was cramped, and her only form of entertainment was eavesdropping.
I must say, we've gathered quite a bit of information.
Some say that the higher-ups seem to have stopped checking the post stations and started going door-to-door to check household registrations. The large-scale investigation was originally intended to find the female thief, but unexpectedly they found some fugitives, which was a lucky accident.
Some people also said that they saw many military patrols carrying weapons yesterday, but when they returned after circling around, the same people were gone, but their weapons were gone, as if they had been hidden away.
Others said:
“It has become much more difficult to leave and enter the city lately. My distant cousin who sells sauces was transporting goods back to the city yesterday, and even the empty boxes were inspected. He said he saw many merchants leaving the city being checked, with all their boxes opened and none left out.”
"Alas, things have been rather unsettled lately; it's best not to go out unnecessarily."
hurried footsteps approached, followed by someone shouting, "Brother, it's terrible! A fight has broken out on West Street! Everyone outside is saying don't go out for the next few days, or you'll get your head chopped off!"
"Another fight? Did the two patrol teams clash? Speaking of which, there was a fight yesterday, and I heard that several heads were blown off. But later, those who were supposed to withdraw and those who were supposed to go home did, so I guess this chaos won't last long."
"No! It really started. The shops were full of archers, and arrows were flying everywhere. There were also many soldiers on the streets. In short, the fighting was fierce and blood flowed like rivers."
Dai Li pursed her lips.
A fight broke out?
Qin Shaozong and that person from Sizhou?
Before Dai Li could listen any further, a white figure flipped over the wall and landed like a cat without making a sound.
Dai Li: "!"
Qin Yanzhou saw Dai Li in the courtyard, so he quickly went up to her and whispered, "Mother, the North and Sizhou are fighting. I'll take you back to your room to do your makeup, and then we'll go out through the east gate and head south."
Dai Li's spirits lifted. Knowing that time was of the essence, she couldn't care less about anything else and quickly turned around to go back to her room with Qin Yanzhou.
About fifteen minutes later, the mother and son came out of the house.
Dai Li was dressed in ordinary linen clothes. Her skin tone was covered with a darkening ointment, making it several shades darker than before. She had a small scar on her face, and the curve of the corner of her eye was slightly reduced. In addition, she had a few more black moles on her face.
Qin Yanzhou himself also put on a disguise; the mother and son were practically different people.
They didn't have much luggage, just one backpack each.
With this disguise, Dai Li no longer needs to wear a veil and can walk directly outside.
After leaving the courtyard, the two turned left and right and headed east.
They lived in the East City, not far from the city gate. Perhaps because the journey was smooth, Qin Yanzhou said, "Mom, on my way back I ran into that Commander Mo. He followed me, but I shook him off later."
Dai Li, who was pondering the Qinglian Sect, was interrupted in her thoughts. "Following you? You ran into him by chance?"
"No, I just went to look for Marquis Wu'an."
Dai Li was stunned by her son's bombshell. "Why are you looking for him? Qin Shaozong is very astute and cunning; it's hard to say what he might do..."
Before they could finish speaking, the mother and son suddenly stopped in their tracks.
Dai Li looked at Mo Yanyun, who was squatting at the city gate not far away, and immediately felt something was wrong.
Author's Note: With the plot unfolding to this point, I thought many readers would realize the importance of Xia Gu's part, but surprisingly, not many did, and some even said the pacing was slow (...).
Okay, I can only mention it briefly.
Xiagu has now gathered several forces. In addition to Dai Li's escape route, there is also the power struggle between the Northern Lands, Sizhou, and the Qinglian Sect, with the latter being led by Lao Qin.
The development of Qin's line will directly connect to the future of Sizhou, the changes in Yanzhou itself, and the internal changes of the Qinglian Sect.
It's like there are two parallel storylines now, one about Dai Li and the other about Lao Qin. Each storyline needs to be explained clearly, otherwise there will be a sense of incongruity later on, like "something seems to be missing a piece".
However, as we write this, Dai Li and Lao Qin are not far from meeting.
Finally, you guys really went too far with your God's-eye view. From Dai Li's perspective, there are many things you really can't predict. [laughing and crying with facepalm]
P.S.: Chaos is a process. For example, the period from the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty lasted a full 36 years, which is a lifetime for some people. They can't just stay put forever, especially since Yuzhou, the province chosen by the governor, is a relatively peaceful place. [glasses]
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